Electric heater having thermostatic control and signal means



, l 4 F. w. RIDDINGTON 2,424,504

ELECTRIC HEATER HAVING THERMOSTATIC CONTROL AND SIGNAL MEANS Filed May 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4/ 24 42 i 2e 3 .1 V

w 42a 2/ 4/a 4/6 A9 26a 26 40 so an 3 j /a 26 a4 as v 20 /7 43 2? 2: 33a 38 i 5 )6 a; aaa7 5 Inventor Frederick w. mddmgton;

is Attorney.

July 22, 1947. w, RIDDINGTQN 2,424,504

ELECTRIC HEATER HAVING I 'HERMOSTATIC CONTROL AND SIGNAL MEANS Filed May 1, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

czi-r; a 48 472a Inventor Frederick W. Riddington,

H15 Attow ney.

Patented July 22, 1947 OFFICE ELECTRIC HEATER HAVING resend: STATIC CONTROL ANDSIGNAL MEANS Frederick'W; Riddington, Ontario, Calif., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application May 1, 1943, Serial No. 485,327

3 Claims. (01. 219-) This invention relates to electric fheaters, such as electrically heated flatilions, more particularly to electric heaters of -;this c aracter which ge provided with temperature aefipqnsive means for automatically holding 9, preselected temperature in the heated device, and it has io i s ob ec th provision of means tor giving a whenthe iron is at the proper temperatulfi fict 2b}! .1 temperature responsive means.

More specifically, this invention contemplates gthe provision of an improved electrically heated device of the thermostatically controlled type 1 which is provided with signal means, which signal mea as may be set first to give a signal when -,the device upon heating attains the predeter- ;=mlned high temperature which has been set by {the thermostat; and which, if it then be desired 1- to set the gheated device for a lower temperature :than the instant temperature held in the device. ;;may be set to give a signal when the temperature tofathis devicefalls to this low temperature value.

FFOI a, more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the accompartying drawin gainwhich Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view ?taken through an electrically heated ifiati-romembodying this invention: i 2 is a diagrammaticyiew illustrating certain control elements oi'itheiron of Fig. 1 and themanner in which the signal device is controlledi .-3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating ified form of this invention; and Fig. 4 is a. diagrammatic representation of certain of the control elements of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2,

this invention has been shown in one form as applied to an electrically heated flatlron provided with a sole plate III which is heated by means of an electrical heating element II. The heating element ll may be of any suitable type, but preferably will be of the sheathed typeias shown, this heating element comprises a helical resistance conductor I2 mounted within'an outer metallic casing 13 and held in spaced relation with reference to the casing by means of a mass [4 of electrically insulating, heat conducting ma-e terial, such as compacted magnesium oxide. The

; heating element II is cast within the sole plate .12, and it is automatically controlled to hold a preselected temperature in the sole plate ill by :means of a temperature responsive switch l5.=

' While any suitable temperature responsive switch .may be used for this purpose, I prefer to usethe switch described and claimed in the United .States patent to H. R. Batchelor No. 2,288,384, --dated June 30, 1942. As there described, this device comprises a bimetallic temperature responsive bar It. This bar, as clearly shown in Fig.1, has one end clamped to the sole plate l0 so as to be ingood thermal contact with it. The bar is. arranged so that when its temperature rises it bends upwardly and when its temperature falls it bends downwardly. The bar carries an extension ,which functions to control the operation of switch contacts l8 as the bar rises and falls. It will be understood that these switch contacts H! are. electrically connected in series with the heating element II and with the twin supply terminals, 19, so that when the iron is .plugged in to a supply source (indicated by thenumeral lilo in Fig. 2,), and the sole plate l0 heats to the high temperature set by the thermostat, the extension i l will open the switch contacts It to deenergize the heater II, and then when the sole plate temperature falls to a lower value, the thermostat will permit the contacts l8 to re'close to reenergize the heater II. It will be understood that for any given setting of the temperature responsive device it has a predeteh mined temperature amplitude between the high temperature at which the contacts l8 are opened to shut off the heater and the lower temperature at which they are reclosed to reenergize the heater. ,By deenergizing and. reenergizing the toward and aw y heater in this ,way, the thermostat operates to hold a substantially constant temperature in the sole plate. The contact structure I8 is mounted upon a resilient arm 20 which is adjustable from the extension II in order to change the temperature setting of the control device by -means of an adjustment screw 2|.

This screw has a lgnob 22 outside of the iron shell 23, whereby the thermostat may be conveniently adjusted to hold the different preselected temperatures.

Aspointed out previously, this invention contemplatesthe provision of suitable means for giving a signal when the iron is at the proper droning temperature. In the form of the invention' shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this signal means is an incandescent lamp 24. The energization of the lamp24 is controlled by means of a switch 25 having a normally fixed contact 26 mounted upon an electrically conducting arm 26a, and 2. contact 21 mounted upon a, resilient electrically conducting switch arm 28. The switch arm 28 I by its inherent resiliency biases the contact 21 carried thereby toward the contact 26. I

The operation of the switch arm 28 in turn 1s controlled by means of an electromagnet 29 which is provided with a central core 30 and a pair of operating coils 3i and 32, these coils having high and low resistances, respectively, relative to each other. The end of the switch arm 28 carries an armature 32a which coacts with the core 33. The energization of the coils 3| and 32 is controlled both by the operation of the thermostat l5 and by means or a pair of switches-33 and 34. The switch 33 has a pair of cooperating contacts 33a, as shown, one of which is mounted upon an electrically conducting, resilient switch arm 35, The inherent resiliency of thearm 35 is such that it biases the contacts 33a apart. Thefsvvitch 34' is provided with a pair of spaced-apart'fixed contacts 36 and 31 betweenwhichoperates an electrically conducting resilient *s'witch contact member 38. The inherent resiliency of the member 38 is such that it tends to close the-contact 35. The operations of the two switch arms 35 and 38 are controlled by means of a pair 'of plungers 39 arid 40 which in turn are controlled by means of a pair of push buttons'4l and-43 respectively, the buttons projecting through apertures provided for them in the top of theshell' 33, The buttons are provided with" spring latches 4la and'42a which are arranged to move into locking engagement with recesses 4| 1) and 4Ic inthe two buttons, respectively.

In operation: If it'be desired to iron, the knob 22 is' set to the desired high ironing temperature and then the iron' is plugged into the supply source [9a. Then the push' button 42 'isdepressed and held by its latch 42a in the depressed position. This operation of the pushbutton 42 will close the switch contacts 31 and '38 'of the switch 34 and it will depress the resilient signal lamp switch arm 28 to its position shown'in Fig. 2.

' Under these conditions,'thermostatic switch contacts [8 will be closed, because the thermostat I6 is cold, and as a'result an energizing circuit/will be completed as follows: ductor of the supply source 19a, through the heating element H, the closed contacts 'IBZ-the low resistance electrornagnet coil 32, the closed switch contacts 31 and38,'and thence to the'upper conductor of the sup'ply's'ource 19a. This ply heat to thesole plate lfluntil the sole plate attains the high temperature setby the knob 22.

When it attains this temperature; the bimetallic blade 16 will'have been movedupsufiiciently-far to open the contacts 18. -And when these con- 'tacts open the heaterunit ll is deenerg'i'zed a'nd so also is thecoil 32. When the"coil"?32 is 'deenergized it releases the switch 'a'rni'23 so that this arm is permitted to moveupwardly'to' close the contacts 26 and 21- and' thereby energize the signal lamp 24; it isto be understood that the upward biases of the switch arms 28 and38 will force the push button 42 upwardly to its initial position, that is, they will be sufliciently strong to release the push button from the la'tch' 42a. Connected in the energizing circuit of theiamp 24 is a controlling resistance 43which is merely inserted in order that a low voltage'fila'm'ent lamp may be used.

Therefore, follotvingthis opening operation of the thermostat the signal lamp 24will be' enersized and the switch contacts 33 and 38-'wil1 be closed. When the thermostat recloses in'its' cooling cycle respcnsively to the lowering of the tem- From the lower conperature of the sole plate ID, the heating unit II will be reenergized through a circuit which may be traced from the lower conductor of the supply source l9a, through the heater unit ll, through 5 the contacts l8, and the closed contacts 36 and 38. The thermostat thereafter will cycle between oil and on positions to deenergize and =reenergizethis circuit in order to hold substantially the predetermined high temperature set. But during this entire operation the switch will-remain closed to continuously energize the "lamp- 24, thereby indicating that the iron had attained the proper temperature.

'ShOiiId-it beidesired to go to a still higher 15 temperature setting, the thermostat knob 22, will be reset accordingly, and the push button 42 again will be depressed, and the aforedescribed operation will be repeated, the signal lamp 29 being'deenergized when the button 42 is de- 0 pressed, and being reenergized only when the iron -attains'the selected higher temperature.

. Newif it be desiredto iron :at a lower, temperatura knob' 22-=wil1-be .set: to the desired temperature valuepandthe push button 4l-will b e:;de-

gypressedrand will be heldin its depressed position by means ofits =latch 41a. This operation will forcethe signal lamp switch arm'28 to its open iposition; and itwill operate. theswitch arm 33 to close the contactsl33a. .Therefore, an ;,ener

"301. gizing circuit will be completed, through the re- 'sistanceelement and the high resistance coil 3l otsthe electromagnet so that again the switch fi will be heldiin its openpositiomt-this circuit extends'fronr the'lower. conductor of, the supply 35-s'ource='l'9a, through the heater l,l,,the switch arm Sp-switch cgntacts 33a, coil -3| and thence ithroughclosed contacts 36tand-38 to the upper conductor oithe supply source. It is to be noted since; the coili3l has a relatively high resistance 4o- 't'h'at even 'thoughmhe heating element 1 I isnow energized verylittlezheat will be generated;in the sole plate' H0. -Here -also, it is .tobenoted that the thermostatic blade -l 6. will be; in its position -to keepthe contacts :18 ,:open;-because itwill be "hotand'will-be above. its present temperature setting. the a'result, the sole plate; l0 will-cooldown, amdieventually it will coo1:to such a low temperature that the thermostat {I 6 will :reclose the contacts H8. This. operation will short circuit the '5o coi-l 3i toithereby release the switch armi28and permit the contacts 1-26 and; 21 to close and-reenergize the signai lamprfl. This indicates that the iron is again at the proper i-roningtemperaitfire. Then ithe thermostat [Gasbeiore will-operategbetween ofikand -fon. positions as- .the

temperature of-1 the iron rises to. the upperend ofl=the:temperature 'amplitudeof the thermostat ahd .fall's to the lower: end i of the temperature amplitude so-that theselected lower temperature to -will-be held: And all ofthis timethe. lamp. 24

will fremain continuously. energized to indicate that the iron: had attained the proper temperature.

- "It is alsopossibleto operatetheiron as a nor- 5 maliromwit-houtthe signal devicecontrol at all.

To do this,-thetWo-push buttons 4luand42 are left in their upper positions so that the. circuit oftheheatenincludesonly the thermostatic ele- -'ment IS andthecloSed switch contacts 36 and 38.

l Inthe form of -the invention. shown in Figs. 3

and.4 an-audible-signal device is provided as dis- =-r=tinguished from the yisualsignal device. of, the first-form. .Here,.-the iron is provided with a sole -platefi'k pheating element 45, anda temperature 76"contrordevice 46, all arranged in .preciselythe and armature controlled contacts 50a and m respectively. The coil 50 is a low resistance coil, while the coil 5| is a high resistance coil. The energization of the two coils 50 and 5| is controlled by means of a manually operable switch 52 which is provided with spaced fixed contacts 53, 54 and 55 and a movable bridging contact 56. The bridging contact has a control knob 51 above the iron shell, as shown.

The iron as well as the coils are provided with a suitable electrical source of supply 58.

In the operation of this device, when it is desired to heat the iron up to a preselected tern.- perature, the thermostat 46 is set to the desired temperature, and the bridging contact 56 is moved to bridge the fixed contacts 54 and 55. When has been done an energizing circuit will be completed for the sole plate heater 45, which circuit is traced from the lower conductor of the supply source 58, through the heater 45, through the switch contact 56, contact 54, and thence through the thermostat 46 to the upper conductor of the supply source. It is to be understood that while the contact 55 is closed at this time, the high resistance coil 5| is shorted out by means of the thermostat. Therefore, as a result of this operation, the iron sole plate 44 will heat up, and when it attains the high temperature for which the thermostat 46 has been set, the thermostat will open, which operation will effect the energization of the high resistance coil 5| and cause it to close its contacts 5la; when these contacts close the hell 4! is energized to give an audible signal that the iron has attained its proper operating temperature. Here, however, when the thermostat 46 cycles between on and oil positions the relay 49 will be alternately deenergized and reenergized, as distinguished from the continuous operation of the signal of the first form of this invention described.

Now if it be desired to operate at a higher temperature, the thermostat will be set to the desired higher temperature and, of course, it will close its switch contacts. When this happens the heater 45 is energized, the bell is deenergized, and the operation is as above described.

If while the iron is at the higher temperature, and it should be desired to operate it at a lower temperature, the thermostat 45 is set to the desired temperature, and the switch plate 56 is moved to close switch contact 53 alone. This operation will connect the low resistance coil 50 in series with the iron heater 45, but neither will be energized, because the thermostat 45 at this time will be open due to the fact that it still will be at a temperature higher than that set. However, when the iron cools down to the low temperature value set by the thermostat, the thermostat will reclose so as to energize both the heater 45 and the coil 50. When the coil 50 is energized it will close its contacts 56a to energize the bell 41 giving a signal that the iron has reached the desired low temperature. Here again, the bell will be alternately deenergized and reenergized as the thermostat 46 cycles between its opened and closed positions in functioning to hold substantially the desired temperature.

This iron also may be operated as a normal iron with the signal excluded. This operation is accomplished by moving the switch blade 56 to close contact 54 only. When this has been done only the heater 45 and the thermostat 46 are connected in series with the supply source 58. The signal control is excluded.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since:

- many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an electrically heated fiatiron having an and signal means for said flatiron comprising, an

electroresponsive signal device, energizing circuits for said signal device and for said heating element, a thermostat responsive to the temperature of said fiatiron for controlling said heating element to hold a substantially constant temperature in said fiatiron and settable to vary said temperature, a pair of push buttons for high and low heats respectively, and switch means controlled by said push buttons and thermostat controlling said energizing circuits so that when said high heat push button is depressed and the iron is below the temperature for which said thermostat is set said heating element is energized but said signal device remains unenergized, and said switch means operating to energize said signal device circuit to cause the signal device to give a signal when said thermostat opens aid heating element circuit responsively to the iron attaining the high temperature for which said thermostat is set and to continue its operation to give the signal while said thermostat cycles to open and close said heating element circuit to hold said temperature substantially constant, and said switch means also operating responsively to the setting of said thermostat to a temperature lower than the instant temperature of said device, which setting opens said heating element circuit, and to the depression of said low heat push button for opening the energizing circuit of said signal device and for reclosing it only responsively to the operation of said thermostat. in reclosing said heating element circuit when the temperature of said iron falls to a value cor-- responding to the lower temperature setting of said thermostat.

2. In an electrically heated flatiron and the like provided with a heating element, a thermostat responsive to the temperature of said iron for controlling said heating element to maintain a preselected temperature in said iron, a signal device, switch means controlling the operation of said signal device, a pair of operating coils for said switch means, manually operable switch means for selectively controlling the energization of said coils to control said switch means,

said manually operable switch means when in one position connecting one of said coils in circuit'with said thermostat and said heating element to energize the coil to hold the switch means in position to prevent said signal device from operating, whereby when said thermostat opens responsively to said iron attaining a predetermined high temperature said coil is deener-- gized to permit said switch means to operate said signal device, and said manually operable switchv means when operated to another position connecting said other coil in circuit with said heating element alone so that it is energized to hold said switch means in position to prevent said signal device from operating until said thermostat recloses at a lower temperature setting thereof, and said thermostat when thus reclosing functioning to deenergize said other coil to permit said switch means to operate said signal device to give a signal.

3. In an electrically heated device having a heating element, a thermostat for controlling said heating element to hold a substantially constant temperature in said device, a manually settable control element for said thermostat for varying said temperature, signal means comprising a signal device, control means separate from said control element manually operable selectively from off to high and low heat positions and jointly with said thermostat controlling said signal device and heating element so that when said control means is operated from said off position to said high heat position, said heating element is controlled to apply heat to said device wliile said signal device remains inactive, and said signal device is operated to give a signal when said thermostat shuts off said heating element upon said device attaining the high tenperature set by said thermostat control element and thereafter to give said signal continuously as said thermostat operates to hold said tempera ture substantially constant, and said thermostat and control means further jointly controlling said signal device and heating element to shut off the heat and signal device when said thermostat control elementis set for a lower temperature than the instant temperature of said device and said control means is operated to said low heat position, and to reapply the heat and give a corn tinuous signal when said device attains said lower temperature and said thermostat operates to maintain it, and further, when said control means is in-said off position, said thermostat may function underthe control of said manually settable control element to hold various selected temperatures in said heating device while said signal device remains inactive to give a signal.

FREDERICK W. RIDDINGTON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Dat Samuels July 16, 19-10 Number 

